Fastener



Sept. 19, 1939. NAGAMATSU 2,173,310

FASTENER Filed July 18,y 1938 Y In ventor f/zfyoro ga/mais ttorneys` Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to fasteners for securing flexible elements, such as rope, shoe lacing, etc., and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which may be readily fixed on a shoe upper or the like and is so constructed that a lacing may be wrapped thereabout and thereby become gripped by the device to securely hold the lacing against slipping or becoming unfastened and which may be easilyr and quickly removed from the device when desired.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illus- `trating a shoe upper equipped with a fastener constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, illustrating the fastener.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing a shoe lacing secured by the fastener.

Figure 4 is a front elevation illustrating the fastener.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation illustrating the fastener.

Figure 6 is a top plan View illustrating the fastener. v

Figure 'l is a sectional view taken on the l1ne 'I-l of Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates an anchoring medium for securing the fastener on a shoe upper or similar device. The shoe upper is indicated by the character 6. In adapting the present invention to a shoe upper, fasteners are applied on each side of the upper adjacent the upper edge and preferably in a line with the usual hooks already provided on the upper as is conventional in shoe construction, so that after the lacing 1 has been engaged with the conventional hooks it may 'be brought into engagement with the fasteners and thereby firmly secured against slipping and consequently eliminates the usual practice of tying the ends of the lacing.

The anchoring medium 5 is in the form of a tubular sleeve 8 provided at one end with a ange 9. The tubular sleeve is adapted to be inserted through the shoe upper until the flange 9 engages with the outer face of the upper. The other end of the tubular sleeve is upset or clinched to firmly secure the fastener in place on the shoe upper.

Formed integrally with the flanged end of the tubular sleeve 8 is a fastening hook I0 consisting of a shank II, a top plate I2 and a depending lip I3. The shank II, plate I2 and lip I3 are o f integral construction. The top plate I2 is disposed at right angles to the shank I I and overlies the flanged end of the tubular sleeve 8 with the lip I3 disposed laterally of and spaced from the flanged end of the tubular sleeve. The top plate I2 and lip I3 are cut away to form a taper which extends from the attached end ofthe top plate to the free end of the lip. The taper is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 6.

The shank II is in the form of a plate which when applied through the medium 5 to the shoe upper extends away from the upper and has formed in one edge thereof a substantially V- shaped notch I4 and the opposite edge is provided with a substantially U-shaped notch I5. The notches I4 and I 5 are arranged in close proximity to the top plate I2 so that when a shoe lace, as shown in Figure 3, has been wrapped about the shank, the wrappings will fit into the notches with the free portion of the lacing becoming wedged in the V-shaped notch thereby preventing slipping of the lacing on the fastener and the accidental detachment of the lacing from the fastener. To remove the lacing from the fastener all that is necessary is to pull on the free end of the lacing to remove the lacing from its wedged position in the `V-shaped notch and unwrap the lacing from about the shank. The wrapping and unwrapping of the lacing about the shank can be easily brought about due tothe space provided between the free end of the lip and the flanged end of the attaching medium 5.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates so that further detailed description will not be required.

What I claim ls:

A fastener comprising a tubular anchoring medium, a hook formed on said medium and including a straight plate-like shank integral with one end of the anchoring medium, a topplate terminating in a lip substantially paralleling said shank and terminating in spaced relation from the anchoring medium and laterally thereof, said shank and top plate being of integral construction and arranged at right angles to each other, said top plate tapering from its attached to the free end of the lip, said shank having notches in opposite edges thereof to receive the wrappings of a shoe lacing placed about said shank under the top plate for securing the lacing against slippage, one of said notches being of U-shape and the other notch being of substantially V-shape to bring about wedging of the wrappings of the lacing therein to prevent slipping of the lacing.

IKUGORO NAGAMATSU. 

